Sighting
Description:
Another curious sighting that widely hit the press of the period happened on
August 10, 1977, in Francavilla al Mare (CH).At
the beach some vacationers observed a bluish light which was moving
frantically between the waves about a hundred meters from the coast.
Immediately rumors circulated about presumed underwater UFOs, so a Roman
tourist, who was also a skilled fisherman, rowed in a thin-hulled racing boat
and approached the mysterious light. And what happened at that point? Well,
the witness, observing the light, did nothing but harpoon it, realizing at
that point that all the commotion had been caused by a "regalecus glesne1"
or a particular species of large herring.

Note 1: Regalecus glesne - The king of herrings, also known as an oarfish,
is found in all the world's oceans, at depths of between 20 and 1,000 m (66
and 3,281 ft.). Its length is up to 550 cm (18 ft.), and it can weigh up to
272 kg (600 lbs.). The rarely seen king of herrings is the world's longest
bony fish. Its head and body is silver with blue streaks, with blackish
streaks and spots on the body. The dorsal fins are crimson with 10 - 12 spiny
rays and about 400 soft rays. The pelvic fin is represented by a prolonged,
ribbon-like ray. Spawning occurs between July and December. –H J-